The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to the field of so-called "growing" figure toys and more particularly to a new and useful growth-simulating figure toy which may be manipulated to simulate growth from a pre-teenage female to a teenage female.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art known to applicant is listed by way of illustration, but not of limitation, in separate communications to the U.S. Patent Office.
Among this prior art are U.S. Pats. Nos. 2,741,870 and 3,731,426 owned by the assignee of the instant application.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,870 discloses a growing figure toy including a one-piece expansible and contractible covering. The figure toy contains a mechanism operative to expand the figure toy from a normal condition in both longitudinal and transverse directions for simulating animate growth. The mechanism is contractible for restoring the figure toy to normal position after an expanding operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,426 discloses a shape-changing figure toy which includes a shape-changing member normally disposed beneath a flexible covering material in a non-material bulging position. Means are connected to the shape-changing member for swinging it outwardly into a material-bulging position so that the shape of the figure toy is changed in a selected area.
The assignee of the instant application is also the assignee of copending application Ser. No. 558,764 filed Mar. 17, 1975. This copending application discloses a growth-simulating figure toy of the type herein disclosed.